Slow-roast short ribs?

[PassionateAmateur]

Hill Country BBQ in NYC serves this meltingly tender, fabulous beef short rib --I believe it's just salt, pepper and hours and hours of smoke.  (I dream about it sometimes.)  Though I can't recreate the smoke in my Brooklyn apartment without getting a visit from the fire department, I was thinking that a slow roast could still be very pleasing.  Has anyone tried this with short ribs?  I was thinking a 225 degree oven until the meat comes to 180.  Sound right?  Also -- would I need to sear first to get a good roasty/crusty exterior (which I don't need to do for my porchetta recipe - though that gets a wine/drippings slathering every 1/2 hour or so, so the sugars might be doing the work there)?  Any thoughts/experience/technigques appreciated!

[gfweb]

Braising short ribs makes a beautiful dish. Red wine...a little soy...onions... garlic...tbsp tomato paste....a hint of 5 spice or cinnamon.

[PassionateAmateur]

I know -- in fact I braised some on Sunday and am still enjoying the leftovers.  But I'm interested in roasting too!

[hongda]

Maybe try something along the lines of this to get the smokiness?   Covered dutch oven with a few ramekins of water and liquid smoke. 

 

https://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/12/oven-smoked-pulled-pork-shoulder.html

 

 

[FeChef]

If you can't use a smoker , your best option is to soak the short ribs in 3 parts water / 1 part wrights liquid smoke ( i like the apple wood version) for 2-4 hours. Then add whatever rub you like and roast in the oven @ 250F till probe tender which could be a good 6-9 hours depending on how big your short ribs are.

[PassionateAmateur]

Thanks -- will experiment this weekend.

[Joe Blowe]

Have a sous vide setup? If so, check this out for another possible route:

 

https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/smokerless-smoked-brisket

[PassionateAmateur]

Interesting.  I gave up on my sous vide setup -- took too much real estate.  But thanks!  

 

I'm curious that everyone's suggestions avoid actually slow-roasting, and none of my gazillion cookbooks mention it as a possibility for short ribs either. Anyone have any thoughts on why this pretty basic technique doesn't get used for this cut?  I'm thinking I need to run some experiments even at the risk of ruining a glorious piece of meat!

[Anna N]

30 minutes ago, PassionateAmateur said:

I'm curious that everyone's suggestions avoid actually slow-roasting, and none of my gazillion cookbooks mention it as a possibility for short ribs either.

Click.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

27 minutes ago, PassionateAmateur said:

Interesting.  I gave up on my sous vide setup -- took too much real estate.  But thanks!  

 

This puzzles me.  My anova takes up less space than almost any of my kitchen toys, rotor-stator homogenizer possibly excepted.

 

Roast a sparerib and report back.  I would brown in a pan first, possibly.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

7 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Click.

 

300F does not sound like slow roasting to me.  I'd try 180 or even 170.

 

[Anna N]

13 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

300F does not sound like slow roasting to me.  I'd try 180 or even 170.

 

 I don’t think I’d choose to go that low. My point was that slow roasted short ribs were not unheard of.  

[KennethT]

I live in a small Manhattan apt and have a stovetop smoker... it's great for adding smoke flavor.  I'd rub, then stovetop smoke it for 20 min or so, then roast as you desire to get the tenderness.  You could always hit it with another round of smoke afterwards if necessary.

[PassionateAmateur]

I do have a stovetop smoker -- will start there then go to a nice low 250 oven until they're melting off the bones.  Thanks for all the suggestions!

[PassionateAmateur]

17 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

This puzzles me.  My anova takes up less space than almost any of my kitchen toys, rotor-stator homogenizer possibly excepted.

 

I tend to do multi-course dinner parties for 10 or so guests and the counter space for the water bath is just too much -- kills my prep space for all the other courses.  Ends up more of an inconvenience.  If it turns out I won the lottery last night and can buy a brownstone, i will definitely revisit!

[Anna N]

@PassionateAmateur

 

You know your work habits better than any of us but it’s hard to understand why your sous vide set up needs to occupy counter space.  In the town house up north where @Kerry Beal and I spend a good part of the summer, the sous vide is on the floor in the hallway.  I believe other members have it in the basement which may not be an option for you. 

Edited June 3, 2018 by Anna N (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, PassionateAmateur said:

I tend to do multi-course dinner parties for 10 or so guests and the counter space for the water bath is just too much -- kills my prep space for all the other courses.  Ends up more of an inconvenience.  If it turns out I won the lottery last night and can buy a brownstone, i will definitely revisit!

 

In addition to what @Anna N just said, you could cook your meat days in advance, chill in an ice bath and refrigerate.  Just before service finish in (for example) a hot oven.

 

[PassionateAmateur]

In a Brooklyn apartment, it's not just the kitchen that's small.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 hours ago, PassionateAmateur said:

In a Brooklyn apartment, it's not just the kitchen that's small.

 

No sidewalk?

 

[KennethT]

BTW, @PassionateAmateur - I used to do what you're talking about every once in a while - I would make a 4-5 course tasting menu for 8-10 people every couple of months, in a small Manhattan kitchen.  Sous vide was my best friend and I could make everything (except the fish) the week or so before, then retherm for service and everything tasted just like it would have if made fresh.